Nintendo To Launch New Machine Next Year?

EvilDonut writes "According to Bloomberg.com, Nintendo intends to launch a new machine in Japan next year, in order "to boost sales". There are no details as to wether the machine will be hand-held or not, but Bloomberg does describe it as a next-generation console. This is pretty odd, as Nintendo has previously stated that the GameCube successor wouldn't be out until 2005, and the GBA is doing so well that I can't imagine they'll replace it as early as next year. The article also mentions the Nintendo iQue, so it's pretty clear this is not just a mix-up regarding the new, China-only system." Update: 11/13 23:44 GMT by S : GameSpot has a very cryptic clarification from Nintendo, that "the new product will be a unique item that is different from any traditional machine", and will be "be [neither] a home console nor a portable machine."

Comments

Re:So Which Is It?

[BabyDave]

It's both -that's the point. The summary says that the "new machine in Japan" (which we know nothing about) is not the same thing as the "new, China-only system" (the iQue)

I don't think this is news.......

[TomHandy]

Nintendo had previously said at E3 this year that they are working on a new machine for next year, but they also made it pretty clear it was something they wouldn't classify either as a console or handheld. I think that is what this article is really about, and therefore isn't really news. But it seems that Nintendo has already made it clear that whatever this new machine is, it is something they consider to be a new type of device that they wouldn't classify as anything like a GameCube or GBA successor.

-Tom

Re:Genesis release

[Babbster]

Which, by the way, worked out quite nicely for Sega until they had Saturn development fall behind causing them to market upgrades (32x and SegaCD) to the Genesis that nobody wanted. The Genesis did VERY well and delayed real excitement about the SNES for solid interval (the fact that early SNES games didn't take full advantage of the system didn't help, either). If the Saturn had made it out a year earlier than it did, Sega might still be in the console business since the Dreamcast wouldn't have been the "make or break" situation that it was.

iQue info

[muffen]

Read this story on maxconsole earlier today.

iQue seems cool, but IMHO you can get an N64 cheaper these days from places like eBay, and the iQue is more or less the N64.

Some cut/paste from the maxconsole story:
Nintendo 64 Nano-Technology inside It is now confirmed that the iQue player is a Nintendo 64 console that makes use of similar Nano-Technolgy that is used in Sony's PSX: the technology used will allow the unit to have a single chip solution containing CPU, Graphic Engine, GPU etc. Positive side-effects are a doubled operating speed, reduced electronic noises and very low power consumption. Regarding Nintendo/iQue spokespersons in China, the iQue will be the first gaming device on the market that makes use of that technology, followed by Sony's PSX which is due to release in December. This statement at least gives us hope that the unit might still be released before Christmas ;-)

...

What's in the box, including games The unit released first contains a 64MBytes Flash Card, the AV cable, a power supply (220V), the power cord and 5 games pre-recorded on the card. Included are 5 games, while only Doctor Mario is a full version. Zelda 64: Ocarina of Time (10 hours), Mario 64 (7 hours), Wave Race (1 hour) and Star Fox (1 hour) are time limited demo versions. It's a "very new" distribution system, indeed. No other titles have been officially confirmed to us as of yet, but the N64 has got lots of great titles. Full versions of games cost 48 Yuan, that's approx US$ 6. In-game text and manuals are in simplified Chinese language, in-game voices are in mandarin. The box also contains a serial number and password that allow you to download new titles to your system at Nintendo partners throughout Shanghai, and possible also through the Internet. The card maintains a download log, so users can regain the previous game titles again free of charge if they want to play them again.

Re:New system

[Dot.Com.CEO]

The PS2 can read CD-Rs and DVD-Rs fine. The xbox, or rather most versions of it, cannot read CD-Rs, but CD-RWs and DVD-R(W) are fine. The copy protection is akin to PC-based ones (faulty sectors or uncopiable faults on the disk surface that is checked by the OS/BIOS). The reason a PCI add-on is not the solution is that it would 1. dilute the market and prevent the creation of a proper brand (you're playing your games on a "PC") and 2. complicate troubleshooting and depart from the "instant on" console philosophy.

Folks at Garmin

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope that Nintendo considered the folks at Garmin when considering its naming scheme. Be original. Copy someone else.

It's not a new console!

[gamgee5273]

There is basic evidence pointing to this: there have been no developer machines sent out. There's no way in hell Nintendo's going to launch a new console three years after launching the current one without sending out development kits.

Maybe, just maybe, there is an iQue add-on for the GCN. Perhaps, using an iTunes-type store, we'll be able to buy older Nintendo ROMs over the Internet (using the broadband or modem adpaters, perhaps?) and put them on Flash cards, which we can then use on the iQue add-on for the GCN.

That makes sense. A new console doesn't.

Incorrect

[IncohereD]

One of the big plot points in the "Will XBox survive" debates was that Nintendo was actually able to sell their machine at a profit, until MS, which was/is taking a bath. A comment earlier up mentioned that they may not be taking a profit at the new lower price, though, which is the reverse of the usual trend you mention.

Re:New console is a portable Ique

[Troed]

Congratulations - you've fallen for a myth. The only console before the Xbox to have been sold at a loss was the Dreamcast.

By all means, Google.

(ps: The Gamecube is second worldwide - check the official figures from MS and Nintendo)